Golf Course Review of Dunaverty Golf Club

I heard the squelch first. The gentle sinking sensation soon followed.
However, it was a few seconds before I felt the warm, moist trickling sensation
around my ankle. The smell arrived shortly afterwards.

I was momentarily frozen but I knew exactly what had happened before I
glanced down at my pearly white Ecco golf shoes, the left one now not so
pure. In lining up my approach to the first green I had stepped backwards
into a freshly deposited cow pat.

I should have known better, or at least been more aware, because moments
beforehand I had fired over a heard of cattle on my opening drive and had
read the sign when opening the gate to the first tee that stated electric
fences were located around several greens. I’ve played numerous golf courses
on commonland before but this was the first time I’ve literally put my foot
in it. And spectacularly so.

As it turns out cow shit is a lot easier to clean up than you might think
and I was soon on my way around this riveting links golf course with
rumbling fairways and rectangular greens located at Southend on the very tip
of the Kintyre Peninsula.

I wanted to keep this review short and sweet – just like the golf course
itself – but there is far too much good stuff going on at Dunaverty to make
that even a remote possibility. For that I make no apology.

At just a stride under 4,800 yardsthis true links packs a massive
quirky punch
into its par of 66 where there is a joyful playfulness to the experience of
golfing your ball here. The Club was founded in 1889 but the course was
significantly remodelled before the second World War.

There are seven par threes (but it doesn’t feel like it) and they range
from 123 to 245 yards. There are some absolute crackers amongst them with
tons of variety. The blind fourth with a gathering sunken green is truly
marvellous and has two marker posts; one at the top of the dune you fire
over and another behind the green. There’s a wonderful sense of anticipation
to finding out where the flag is located for the day and discovering how
close your ball is to it.

However, it was the 180-yard seventh which impressed me the most. I would
go as far as saying it is one of the finest short holes I’ve played.
Playing
from a gloriously located tee you must fire over tumultuous ground to an
almost plateau green partially hidden behind a dune on the right and where
the angles and slopes of all the surrounding landforms just make perfect
sense. I suspect that the hidden pot-bunker some way short of the green on
the right is visited more times than you may initially think.

The second has a lovely sloping green, the sixth at 245-yards is more
akin to a driveable par four, the 10th named “Mount Zion” is a vertical
pitch up to a benched green whilst 14 and 16 are both of the knob-to-knob
variety but each plays quite differently. Dunaverty doesn’t do repetition
amongst its short holes.

The same can’t quite be said for the par fours. There are ten altogether
and seven of them play between 253 and 323 yards. Only the 8th, 15th and
17th offer more than a short pitch into the green, and the former of this
trio, with it’s green hiding partially behind a sandhill, and the latter,
where Conieglen Burn must be crossed with your approach, are both superb
holes.

Of the shorties we often find ourselves driving blind over a ridge to a
dell green, or sometimes we play up to a raised putting surface and in the
case of the excellent fifth we must find a hogback fairway. They are all
great fun and highly contagious.

The lone par-five doesn’t greet us until the 13th and again at just
446-yards it offers the chance of a birdie. It’s another excellent hole that
funnels down to a secluded green.

It won’t surprise you to find that SSS is just 63.

You could argue that the course runs out of juice over the last few holes
and in truth it probably does but the quality by no means drops off the edge
of a cliff and indeed there are still some demanding shots to be played
although the rumbustious golf slowly fizzles out.

One of the most notable features on the course are the square greens.
It’s an unusual feature but works really well here and this is because the
internal contours of the putting surfaces merge brilliantly with the
external ones. Despite the greens being quadratic there is an amazing
fluidity to the green complexes. I would never have thought that the
combination of rectilinear greens located in punchbowl settings could work
so well.

The course didn’t play particularly hard and fast like some links courses
can do – there was a softer, springier feel to it at times – but that is
relative because the ground game was still the preferred route into many of
the greens.

The views are resplendent throughout the round with Dunaverty and
Brunerican Bays visible from most holes and almost within touching distance
during the opening exchange of the first six. The third is perhaps the most
spectacular and I would advise you walk back to the white tee markers to not
only play the hole but to soak in the views. If you can turn a blind eye to
the caravan park to your left you have a beautiful expanse of water, a sandy
beach, a near view to Dunaverty Rock – a place with a rather brutal and gory
history -, a further one to Ireland and an heroic fairway arcing around the
fescue covered sandhills separating the shoreline from the golf course.
Sanda Island and Ayrshire can also be spied from the links. It’s a magical
spot to golf.

The question I often ask myself when I play a wee course such as
Dunaverty is; “Is it possible for a golf course to be too short in order for
it to be great?”. Sadly, and often with regret, I personally believe that
the answer is yes, however, the very fact that you are asking the question
tells you everything you need to know about this brilliant layout.

I wonder how many golfers – I suspect thousands – have travelled all the
way to Machrihanish and made the error of not driving another 20 minutes
south to Dunaverty. I was guilty as charged back in 2014 but didn’t make the
same mistake this time around and now know I won’t be a repeat offender.

Hands up 🙋‍♂️ if you've been all the way to Machrihanish and made the error of not driving another 20 minutes south to Dunaverty Golf Club?